The Texanist: Is It Okay to Parboil Ribs Before You Barbecue Them?
A Notrees man thinks dousing meat in boiling water is akin to cheating.
Texas barbecue, the classic version of which is found primarily in Central Texas and distinguished by its use of beef brisket and its indirect smoking method, is superior to all other regional varieties of barbecue. This is an incontrovertible fact. However, the state boasts tremendous variety of barbecue styles, from the cabrito pits of South Texas to the sweet tangy ribs of East Texas. Over the years, Texas Monthly has written about them all. In our first barbecue story, “The World’s Best Barbecue is in Taylor, Texas. Or is it Lockhart?” Griffin Smith Jr. wrote that, “at first blush, the East Texas chopped pork sandwich with hot sauce has little in common with the slab of Central Texas beef. . . . The emphasis in Central Texas is overwhelmingly on the meat itself—sauce, if available at all, is usually just a side dip.”
A Notrees man thinks dousing meat in boiling water is akin to cheating.
In the second episode of our Fire & Smoke podcast, we explore the lasting impact of Etta Randall, a black pitmaster who served four generations of Panhandle residents.
Bourdain looked for the good in people—and he recognized how food can help us understand what we all share.
With its meat cooked on-site and an eye-catching exhaust system, Houston's new Q is a first-class joint.
It started with a sad photo of brisket.
Along with her husband, Thurman, the Hawaii native created a Texas barbecue institution more than 50 years ago.
With a sandwich like the Nasty Nate and impressive barbecue, this one-man show in San Antonio has earned a loyal following.
Write it down: This new Sisterdale joint, which does more than barbecue, picks up where the memorable Maywald's left off.
Stuffed with brisket and cheddar, these long, crisp "potato sausages" are a revelation at Austin joint.
You'll find the best pastrami in the state on weekends only at three Austin farmers markets.
What could follow Nutella banana crepes? A "war on Texas BBQ."
Texas toast makes everything better at this new classic-menu spot in Celina.
Welcome to the golden age of Texas barbecue.
Readers respond to the October 2016 issue.
On Saturdays Tootsie Tomanetz cooks barbecue the old-fashioned way for legions of loyal fans. That doesn’t mean she’ll ever give up her day job.
With beer, live country music, and, of course, Texas-style barbecue.
A midterm report.
There has been a recent uptick in the number of meat thefts, but it's nothing new.
We think that has something to do with Texas.
Our estimable advice columnist on buildin’ a fire pit, dressin’ like an oilman, plannin’ a destination wedding (or not), and lettin’ go of a non-barbecue-lovin’ woman.
How the unlikely use of a barbecue pit creates the best artisanal chocolate in Texas.
The joy of eating goat.
The joys and perils (but mostly joys) of being the nation’s first full-time barbecue editor.
Our estimable advice columnist on bad barbecue vs. no barbecue, rodeo bullfighting, and dogs at bars.
And La Barbecue, another Austin establishment, also made food critic Alan Richman's list of the best new restaurants of the year.
With a little luck--and some perfectly smoked brisket--the 84th Legislature will correct a longstanding wrong and make barbecue the official state dish.
For more than a quarter century, Roy Perez has been tending the fires at Kreuz Market and posing for photos with barbecue aficionados. It’s given him a lot of time to think.
I was aghast when chili was first anointed our official state dish. More than 35 years later, my feelings about this greasy mush haven't changed.
Sifting through old Texas newspapers, I found the first mention of commercial smoked meat from the Brenham Weekly Banner, which announced that a Bastrop butcher "keeps on hand at his stall a ready stock of barbecued meats and cooked sausages."
Since 1960, A.N. Bewley Fabricators has been bending, slicing and welding steel for high-quality barbecue pits that can easily cost $20,000.
The beef short rib has become the ultimate carnivore trophy, but they're a costly menu item to produce.
Friends don't let friends slice with the grain.
Can you get the same quality barbecue from a gas-fired rotisserie?
More than 75 songs to accompany you during a meaty quest.
Readers respond to the June issue.
How to "hold your meat" and make a brisket taste fresh for hours.
On Thursday, June 6, KLRU will air a television special entitled The Kings of BBQ: Barbecue Kuwait.The documentary details the experience of five BBQ pitmasters (Myron Mixon, Johnny Trigg, Jaime Geer, Nicole Davenport, and George Stone) and their trip to a military base in Kuwait to create a Southern-style
From packer cuts to Certified Angus Beef, all you wanted to know about that succulent, juicy, tender, and tasty brisket you tear through at your favorite barbecue joint.
Also, over at TMBBQ.com, Vaughn has a new review of Smitty's in Lockhart, perhaps the most surprising joint to not make the Top 50.
Bad news, Memphis: not only are your Grizzlies on the way to losing to the Spurs, but you still won't get to eat the world's best barbecue!
Our June issue, which comes out next week, will settle once and for all the question of Texas BBQ v. all other forms of BBQ.
Find out who made the cut. And which joint ranks number one.
Creating an edible logo.
Things have changed dramatically since we published our last list of the state’s top fifty barbecue joints, in 2008. Not only has there been an unprecedented flourishing of new joints (sixteen of the places on this year’s list were not open five years ago, including two of the top four), and
Possibly the tastiest one this magazine has ever created.
New Yorkers are cheering as our iconic yellow-labeled bock rams toward their city.
Mark your calendar, and start your fasting now. The Texas Monthly BBQ Festival is on . . .
Is it the best job in America? From the New York Times to Bon Appetit, everybody seems to think so.
We've created what may be the most coveted job in the state and hired the best person for the position: Daniel Vaughn, a.k.a. BBQ Snob.
Robert Sietsema, the Village Voice's food critic, thinks New York can now be considered a "'cue capital." Isn't that cute?